The present invention relates to a breast prosthesis, and more particularly to a breast prosthesis receivable in the cup of a brassiere that simulates the look and feel of the removed breast so as to be responsive to a woman""s everyday movements, and which is comfortable against the chest wall with softness, yet is durable enough to be repeatedly washed and dried.
Hundreds of thousands of women annually undergo mastectomy surgery. As can be appreciated, a woman suffers severe physiological and psychological trauma following such surgery. Restoration to a pre-surgery appearance and feel is critical in overcoming both feelings of physical imbalance and the severe emotional shock at the apparent loss of part of their femininity. Restorative options include reconstructive surgery (i.e., implants introduced into the chest cavity, whether artificial or comprising the patient""s own tissue) or breast forms.
Breast forms are prostheses worn externally to simulate the natural contours and weight of a breast. Generally the forms are symmetrical for use on either side of the body (e.g., tri-corner, teardrop or heart shape) or are asymmetrical for side specific (i.e., right or left) use (e.g., curved teardrop or extended triangle). Traditionally breast forms have been made from silicone, foam or fiberfill and have been worn in specially fitted post-mastectomy brassieres which have included a stitched pocket or other means to hold the form in place, usually in a particular alignment or desired orientation. Some heretofore known breast, forms are affixable directly to the chest cavity using adhesives formulated for such purposes, while others are received in the cup of a standard brassiere (i.e., a brassiere not especially modified to receive and retain a breast form).
Heretofore, breast forms have been difficult to fit properly, let alone comfortably, and have moved and shifted around during use, causing considerable embarrassment. In some cases, the artificial breast has not maintained the proper shape and has appeared out of line or in a different shape than the other natural breast. In other cases, the breast form has been hot and uncomfortable to wear (i.e., sticking to or otherwise irritating the chest wall), even for short periods of time. Although attempts have been made at providing weighted and cushioned breast forms, common shortcomings include forms that are too hard, such that engagement may create an acute or chronic discomfort, and/or forms that are too heavy and contribute to feelings of physical imbalance. As a majority of the breast forms cannot be laundered, or at, least have been difficult to wash and dry, replacement at: frequent intervals is sometimes necessary, and such replacement, whether it be driven by wear considerations or weight gain/loss of the wearer, as often is the case, can be costly, even to the point of being cost prohibitive. In still other cases, the filling of the breast form is rigidly structured, thereby contributing to a solid, stationary and often times an unnatural appearance for the breast form.
The present invention provides a breast form having a non-structured filling which responds to a woman""s everyday movements thereby contributing to a balanced feel and natural appearance. The breast form is receivable in the cup of a brassiere and comprises a breathable padded casing selectively filled with a flowable aggregate so as to substantially and comfortably conform to the chest cavity of a wearer, thereby being responsive to the movements of the wearer. The breathable padded casing in turn comprises a plurality of soft and supple composite panels joined together so as to loosely confine the flowable aggregate. In a preferred embodiment, each of the soft and supple composite panels of the plurality of soft and supple composite panels has interior and exterior layers separated by a cushioning intermediate layer. The panels generally provide a soft but firm appearance for the breast form.
More specific features and advantages will become apparent with reference to the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION, appended claims, and the accompanying drawing figures.